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Toys

A crew of hard-skating dudes is coming to your 'hood. X-Concepts, the company that makes Tech Deck mini skateboards and BMX bikes, has taken its Tech Dude and made him three-dimensional.

Skateboard fans might find that collecting the 2-inch figurines is almost as addictive as 'boarding itself. Each Tech Dude packs plenty of 'tude and comes with its own bio, including occupation, hobbies, favorite TV shows, food and music. The first crew of dudes was released in April and includes Lenny, a bouncer who's into the TV show "Cops"; Tank, an army-boot-wearing security guard who digs Spam; and Spin, who looks like Elvis would if he were a thumb. In all, there are a dozen dudes to collect in Crew No. 1, and four more crews are to be released this year.

Tech Dudes sell for about $4 each at Wal-Mart, Kay Bee Toys, Toys "R" Us and Target. To get a peek at all the dudes, check out www.techdeckdudes.com.